Birders,

There is a tract of land off of MacPumphrey Road in Anne Arundel County that is beginning to be noticed by the birding community.  It contains a nice pond on PRIVATE land, just off of MacPumphrey Road.   On the road there is an overlook to the pond, and over the winter a few of us have pulled some nice county ducks out the this area.  

I was there this morning and noted that someone has not only been birding the overlook, but a trail is being made down the hillside into the private property.   The footsteps down the soft dirt on a steep hill not only opens the hillside for damaging erosion, but it also opens the very real prospect of significant erosion of our ability to use the site at all. 

The property off of MacPumphrey Road is an active reclaimation site.  It is worked daily during the week, and there is a lot of valuable equipment on the property.  The management WILL NOT welcome strangers walking on the property.  There ARE No Trespassing signs on some of the property edge.

The owners and management of the reclaimation facility are interested in birds and want to begin to establish a relationship with the birding community.   However, at this point, the relationship is new, tenuous and they have made it clear they want strict control over access to the site.  While it is okay to look over the pond from MacPumphrey Road, I absolutely believe the fastest way to get us locked out of this site is to walk into the lands uninvited.  PLEASE DO NOT CLIMB DOWN THE HILL OR ENTER THE WORKSITE. 

I believe the management will allow birding their entire land, plus this site, but ONLY in a very controlled manner for the time being.  I think that they will expand this, but ONLY if the community shows serious RESPECT for the property and the site.   I am working to establish the connections that will open this area to birding for our community - but at the moment, it is very important that we all be very respectful of the property.  

To be clear:  the pond at MacPumphrey Road can be well viewed from an overlook. It is my understanding that the management is okay with viewing, as long as due respect is paid and NO ONE ENTERS THE PROPERTY.   Keep yourself on the overlook, stay safe and do NOT clamber down the hill or in any other way enter this site.  Doing so risks closure of the property completely to everyone, perhaps for decades (the owners plan to work the property for maybe the next 20 years). 

Be mindful that the overlook IS PRIVATE PROPERTY TOO.  We are GUESTS when we are there. Please behave as a guest on the overlook, and we should be able to soon get this site open for wider access. 

Don't mean to lecture, but I really don't want this site lost for the birding community!  

Thanks for paying attention!

Joanne


Joanne Howl, DVM

west river, md

 

 



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